J Korean Neurosurg Soc.
2006 Jul;40(1):47-50.
Vertebral Metastasis from Hepatocellular Carcinoma of Unknown Origin
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. hjyi8499@hanyang.ac.kr
- 2Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Hanyang University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
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This 51-year-old man suffered from paraparesis of 1-week history. On preoperative images, spinal cord compression by infiltrative vertebral mass was shown at T3 and T4 level. Several months earlier, he underwent surgical resection of left 2nd to 4th ribs, due to painful growing chest wall mass, which was proved to be hepatocellular carcinoma. All available diagnostic procedure failed to uncover origin of malignancy. Operation was followed by adjuvant irradiation and chemotherapy to the vertebral mass, however he only to die in 3 months after operation. This is an extremely rare case of ectopic hepatocellular carcinoma at thoracic vertebrae which showed very aggressive clinical course. Possible pathogenic process is presented and discussed.